Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | Android | iHeartRadio | TuneIn | RSS | More
In this episode, we listen to a lady’s lament, as depicted in Sangam Literary work, Aganaanooru 249, penned by Nakiranaar. Set in the ‘Paalai’ or ‘Drylands landscape’, the verse etches the generosity of a king and the beauty of his domain.
அம்ம வாழி, தோழி! பல் நாள்
இவ் ஊர் அம்பல் எவனோ? வள் வார்
விசி பிணித்து யாத்த அரி கோல் தெண் கிணை
இன் குரல் அகவுநர் இரப்பின், நாடொறும்
பொன் கோட்டுச் செறித்து, பொலந்தார் பூட்டி,
சாந்தம் புதைத்த ஏந்து துளங்கு எழில் இமில்
ஏறு முந்துறுத்து, சால் பதம் குவைஇ,
நெடுந் தேர் களிற்றொடு சுரக்கும் கொடும் பூண்
பல் வேல் முசுண்டை வேம்பி அன்ன என்
நல் எழில் இள நலம் தொலையினும், நல்கார்
பல் பூங் கானத்து அல்கு நிழல் அசைஇ,
தோகைத் தூவித் தொடைத் தார் மழவர்
நாகு ஆ வீழ்த்து, திற்றி தின்ற
புலவுக் களம் துழைஇய துகள் வாய்க் கோடை
நீள் வரைச் சிலம்பின் இரை வேட்டு எழுந்த
வாள் வரி வயப் புலி தீண்டிய விளி செத்து,
வேறு வேறு கவலைய ஆறு பரிந்து, அலறி,
உழை மான் இன நிரை ஓடும்
கழை மாய் பிறங்கல் மலை இறந்தோரே.
In this trip to the drylands, we also get to meet a Sangam era king, as we listen to the lady say these words to her confidante, when the confidante was upset about the lady’s state, at a time when the man continued to remain parted away, having left in search of wealth:
“Listen my friend, may you live long! Why has this town been spreading slander for so many days? Carrying ‘Kinai’ drums with a clear sound, tied together with a firm leather strap and drumming sticks, when those bards with a sweet voice come seeking, day after day, he would assemble before them, bulls, whose horns are covered in gold dust, and whose sandalwood-streaked, upraised, handsome humps are adorned with golden garlands, and then shower mounds of food. In addition, he would render tall chariots and elephants to those who had come seeking. Such is the nature of the many-speared Musundai, clad in curving ornaments, the ruler of Vembi. Akin to this town of Vembi, was my splendid, young beauty. Even though it’s now in ruins, he renders not his grace!
Residing in the swaying shade of many-flowered forests, drylands robbers wearing garlands made of peacock feathers, slay a wild cow and feast on it. The open-mouthed summer wind that enters this flesh-reeking arena, then rushes, roaring aloud, making herds of deer scatter upon many different paths, screaming in fear, thinking it’s the sound of an attacking strong tiger with radiant stripes that had risen in the tall mountain slopes, seeking a prey. Such are those soaring mountains, shrouded by bamboos, that he has left me and parted away to!”
Let’s march on through those scorching spaces and learn more! The lady starts with an exasperated question about why the townsfolk won’t stop spreading slander. Then, she meanders to talk about the generosity of a king named Musundai, who would give bulls, adorned with gold, lots of food, chariots and elephants to sweet-voice bards with resounding ‘Kinai’ drums. She has mentioned this king to turn our attention to the beauty of his capital town of Vembi. The lady now connects her own beauty to that of this town, and says how the man does not seem to have any compassion even when that beauty is turning to ruins. Now, we can understand why the townsfolk are gossiping. It’s an outcome of their observation of the lady’s ruined health in the man’s absence. This is also an indicator that the parting has happened at a time before the man’s marriage with the lady.
Returning, the lady then concludes by painting a picture of the place where the man’s at, those wild spaces, where robbers wearing peacock feather garlands eat the meat of a wild cow, and then the summer wind rushes through that space, picking up that reeking smell of flesh, and roars through, which makes deer scatter away thinking it’s a hungry tiger on the prowl.
In essence, it’s a complaint by the lady that the man has left her exposed to the harsh eyes of the town and left in search of wealth. At a time when you cannot make a call, send a message, or write a letter to the parted one, it must have been difficult to bear with parting. All that the lovers had then was the thoughts and feelings that arose, across the miles, and it’s this unseen wave of energy that roars like the summer wind, even across the ages from the pages of the past!
